Howl a ween
by sabrina-diamond
Summary: Be careful what you receive on Hallow Eve's night... Especially if it is from any strange Earth Faeries... Sabrina learns the hard way of 'Be careful what you wish for'... Especially on the Hallows night. A late Halloween 2006 entry for the Neopian TImes.
1. Ilere

_**Howl-a-ween**_

_Never receive a gift from Faeries near Halloween. _

_Yep, you heard that right! _

_  
Oh, so you don't believe me?! _

_And I should know…_

_After all, I received a present from an unexpected Faerie. _

_  
It cost me a lot more than my dignity if you must know…_

_Sit down… and I'll tell you about what happened - _

_Shortly before this year's 'chilling' Hallows eve…_

_**  
- Chaptire 1 -**_

_Near the Town of Neovia…_

"Kassiko, where are you going?" I called to my Lenny, who was strutting towards the Neovia village.

The village square was dark and full of deepening shadows, abandoned houses…

Rotting tombstones, which were as cold as the moon that had shortly risen upwards, greeted us. I shivered, was there anyone in these parts of the town that _was_ still alive?

A cloudless mist had pervaded the dim and dusky atmosphere.

My red Lenny was observing the tomb-stones with a macabre interest… Personally, I preferred to leave the town alone, after all we didn't want to disturb the 'inhabitants' there. Bruno, especially…

This monstrous Gelert was cursed with the strength to carry two Owners away.

The other Neovians were transformed into bizarre shapes because of a strange blue Krawk that happened to pass by one day.

This Krawk promised them desires, he promised the villagers anything. So he gave them a couple of potions that granted their innermost ambitions, but the potions had a very ugly twist…

Those very potions transformed and mutated them into ambitious and twisted monsters which now turned them upon one another.

The Spirit of Slumber was supposed to live there, biding his time for another plague…

I did not want to remain in this creepy and otherwise depleted place – with only two of my Neopets for company.

Besides, if any of the inhabitants came back, guess who _they_ would attack in a blind fury?

(Yep, you guessed it – me and my Neopets. And I did not want that to happen to us, which were for sure!)

So, heading north, I turned towards the Woods of Neovia…

Surely _the Woods_ was heaps safer than the actual Neovia village? I dragged Parlrina along as well, though he insisted on staying back with Kassiko...

"Oh really, Parly." I told him jokingly, "Would you want me to be attacked as well this Hallows Eve?" My Rainbow Wocky shook his head. I was relieved, _so he was going with me as well?_

With that I entered the Woods. It's really strange, yet funny though…

Along the way, I think he scampered back!

"Parlrina?" I desperately called. Now going into the Woods seemed like not such a great idea after all… I really should have watched where I was going.

A long and twisted path ran ahead of me, shattering the darkness like a jagged scar.

Now I felt like those Neopet children in _Hansel and Gretel_ – you know the part where they get lost in the forest because they decided to use Snail Sandwiches as a trail? They got lost of course…

**_  
- Chaptire 2 -  
_**

It was then that someone approached me from behind...!

I was extremely shocked, just who would approach an Owner from their weakest vantage (otherwise known as behind their view)?

To my relief, it was someone I knew…

It was an Earth faerie that resembled Illusen in a major way… So naturally I thought I should greet her as a sign of respect - or just to say hello. (I'm being really friendly here!)

"Oh, hello Illusen!" I smiled,

"Long time no see… I haven't heard from you for _ages! _How are your Quests going?"

The Faerie that I had spoken to (and presumed) said nothing, but her glass green eyes were glowing as I continued to speak to her…

A distant shudder ran up my spine.

Maybe I had angered Illusen?

I panicked; it was getting darker as I spoke.

_Soon it would be useless to stay here,_ because I couldn't or wouldn't find my way back to the Neovia village...

Then she started talking in a low and hushed voice... And I was startled by how ethereal and eerie it sounded in the moonlight.

"_Sabrina Diamond, I have a gift for you."_ The Earth faerie that looked like Illusen said lowly, her voice was barely heard above the whispering trees.

I was puzzled.

A gift on _Hallows Eve,_ which seemed especially made or _created_ just for me?

I was also pleased; maybe she could help me out. She was wearing a dark-black cloak with jade embroidery on the seams...

With a click of her long and tapered fingernails, she brought out a stone.

It was shiny and yet peculiar.

When I looked at the strange rock, light seemed to bounce off the edges, just like a cut and precious stone. Yet it had the look of a stone unlike anything ever seen in Neopia Central…

It must be a really special stone and gift… I thanked the Faerie, who smiled briefly.

"My name is Sabrina Diamond. Thank you for the present which is just in time for Halloween."

"I'm glad you liked it, Sabre."

(Was she referring to me as a _sword?)_

"My name by the way is Ilere."

"Where did you find this stone?" I was extremely curious of the present's origin.

It could have come from an unknown place, who knows…?

"Way on the banks of Altador. It is rumoured that the stone's power can last one Halloween night and then no more,"  
"Which of those reasons stands above grounds of immortality..."

"This is why I must pass it on to a trustworthy Owner _before_ the Hallow Eve starts."

"A-a power that can be passed on to Owners?" My eyes nearly popped out at this statement.

"Your very desires will be fulfilled this Hallows Eve… Say, don't you want to try it out this Halloween?" Ilere persisted, her hand grasped mine. I immediately withdrew it, her hands felt icy cold.

"I better… Go now. My Neopets are waiting for me…" For some reason, even my speech had slowed…

"Go now, we will meet again… Fyora knows when or how." It was just then I saw that her eyes…

Ilere's eyes! They had turned the palest colour, I fell back in horror. Resisting my revulsion, I ran away as fast as I could from the Woods, carrying my enchanted gift along.

I really wanted to know whether it would work, well it could. Or it couldn't, I was more certain it wouldn't work anyway… But there was only one way to test it…

And the one way was to actually try it out on Halloween night...!

This situation was risky, I know… But hey, I'm up for a challenge! What can actually happen to me…?

_Um… Guess what went wrong first?_


	2. Thy Desire

**_Howl-A-Ween_**

_  
- Chaptire 3 -_

_  
A couple of weeks later-_

_  
Halloween afternoon: 5:55 p.m.  
_

"Okay… Time to test whether this stone gift really works…" I said to myself.

My cute green Kougra, who was called Paws-wid-Claws, was listening…

He was so curious I had to let him see the gift...

The stone sparkled and gleamed like the stars above.

"It's so pretty," Paws noted as he purred, "Is it really going to work?"

"Of course, my dear Paws. If it didn't work, then Mum wouldn't try it, would I?" I winked just to make him feel reassured.

"What are you going to _wish for,_ Mum?" asked Mysteria quietly. "It's not going to be anything?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret anymore will it?" I patted her head, my Lupe's fur felt warm and soft.

"Anyway, it's only going to be for one single night..." I told her confidently.

Later on, I would lament what I said...

But I did not know what would happen afterwards (about five minutes later)…

I went to the back of my Neo-home and waited, feeling the stone cupped in my hand.

The stone felt like it was… The stone was… Pulsing?

It was time to shout out my one and only desire loud and clear among the Woods…

The words rang throughout the secluded neighbourhood, making the other Neopets look up from their Trick-O-Treating.

_Halloween Night – 6 p.m._

"I wish to be a Neopet for only one night…! Grant my desire to _run free_ like my Neopets _on Hallows Eve…!"_

It was a big - and costly - mistake...!

As soon as the words passed my lips, I then realised…

I did not say _what kind_ of Neopet I wanted to be, I should have said it but I didn't...

This stone could now transform me into _any_ Neopet!

I now understood the full meaning of the old English proverb:

_Be careful what you wish for… For it might just come true._

A dense chill ran through my body.

_  
- Chaptire 4 -  
_

It was nerve-wracking, just like when I transformed under the influence of the Darigan Paint-brush… And yet it was different.

It was very painful but gradual, my form shifting smoothly. When it finished, I looked at myself in absolute horror...!

_This wasn't me…_ Shaggy grey fur was covering my entire body? Ripped clothes?

A Lupe-like muzzle, _don't tell me…!_

I denied logic, it sounded so… Unlike me. I mean…

I would never deny any sort of logic, yet here I was denying sense.

I turned towards the Neo-home I left.

I still had a shred of my old human mind, but it was charged up with the Neopet's thoughts.

_But… What Neopet, what am I?_ I growled tersely.

I wished I had a mirror of some sort.

Now that I thought about it…

_Great._ Here I was with one wish and I _totally_ messed it up...! I could have slapped myself for it.

And worse, I was stuck with it for one Halloween _night._

This was very similar to a friend of mine's experience about a couple of years back…

_Oh, why didn't I listen to her last time? This Hallow Eve's night keeps getting better and better!_

I sniffed the air, it smelled fresh and cool. A hint of sulphur in the air as well, I decided.

My senses were sharper than ever, even more than last time I transformed (see _The Cursed Paint-Brush_).

It occurred to me that I should have hidden.

But what a waste of a night it would be. I would rather _run_ free, just like what my wish said.

Just then a green Aisha passed by, he was wearing a slightly ripped version of a _Stick-and-Stones_ band T-shirt and was humming a well-known tune.

_"Trick-All-Treats, _trick-o-treat, lots of yummy candy to eat!"

He did not seem to notice me, a dark hulking shadow beneath the covered moonlight. It was then decided that I should run towards safety. And _run,_ I did.

The Aisha screeched as I leapt out of the shadows, not minding where or what I was doing. His yells sounded panicked in my Lupine ears.

_"AHHRRR!!! A Lupe monster, it's _here!" I turned around…

_Did that Neopet call me a MONSTER…?_

Primal instincts raged, welling up underneath human logic.

The shine of rough claws intercepted the ground as the Were-Lupe snarled, showing long sharpened fangs… _No mercy._ With a long drawn-out shriek the Neopet fled, screaming something as he exited. He even forgot to pick up his bag full of candies, which spilled on the ground like lima beans...

When the instinctive anger subsided, I couldn't believe it…

Did that dark side just came out, the feral nature of the actual Neopet? I whimpered.

How could I last through this long night – it seemed like a true nightmare. That Neopet side frightened me to no ends, what else could happen on this spellbound night of mischief and mayhem?

_But still, I like the candy…_ I lapped some up with my drooling tongue. _This was delicious!_

I crunched my way through the rock-hard lollies, careful not to damage my fangs on the gritty glucose. I did not eat too much, but it sustained the manic energy I had as a Were-Lupe.

The smooth, nutty and warm flavour of the melted chocolate made my mind swoon.

_Ahhh, the joys of foods…_

I ran throughout the Neopian woods for at least one hour of the night, careful not to attract the attention of Halloween passer-bys or their Neopets. Hearing was phenomenal. Feeling the rushing wind between my ears, my shown reflection in the river waters was there, staring back at me.

I was a dark grey Were-Lupe with shaggy hair and molten golden eyes, it was no doubt. The Were-Lupe was vicious, I was strong. Nothing else could stop me, human or Neopet. I was the _wild_ and the _feral_ side of Neopia.

I tried to smile with delight, but it was though my mouth was aching from all that chewing that I did earlier. I shrugged with huge and broad shoulders.

_Oh well, I've had my taste of freedom anyway. Time to go back…_ That exact moment was when _all_ of my troubles began this Halloween!


End file.
